Saving a life requires swift action. Having those skills requires completing the necessary training and practicing. There are various ways to do that, including two common strategies: Basic Life Support (BLS) and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). What is the difference between BLS vs CPR?

This guide explores the differences between CPR and BLS, helping you decide which is better suited for your needs and the skills you aim to develop.

You do not have to have a certification to be competent in either of these areas. However, certifications are valuable. Employers may require them. They also help demonstrate your knowledge of specific skills, especially if you plan to volunteer.

CPR vs BLS: The Differences

Both of these methods teach you how to react to potentially save the life of a person who needs immediate help. However, there are distinct differences between the two.

CPR is a technique that helps manually pump blood to a victim’s vital organs when they are not breathing. It also pushes air into the lungs when there is no breathing movement. CPR courses will teach you specifically how to help a person facing Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) in a non-medical setting.

CPR equips rescuers with the knowledge and tools needed to act immediately in non-medical settings, providing aid until emergency responders arrive. Here are some details of what CPR Involves:

• It applies in situations where the injured person’s heart has stopped working or they are not breathing.
• It involves blowing air into the mouth to force oxygen into the body while also applying chest compressions that force blood to move through the heart.

CPR significantly increases the chances of a person’s heart restarting once defibrillation or other life-saving methods are used.

Basic life support (BLS) is much like CPR and includes CPR. However, it provides a higher level of medical care administered by a public safety professional. Typically, BLS is administered by trained paramedics, healthcare workers, first responders, or public safety professionals like police officers. However, bystanders can provide this type of life-saving effort as long as they have proper training.

Here are a few key factors to consider about BLS:

• It provides those who are in respiratory distress or cardiac arrest support until more advanced care is available in a hospital setting.
• BLS involves initial assessment, airway maintenance, and then CPR

The biggest difference between the two is the level of experience and training. BLS ensures that the person providing this type of care has enough medical knowledge and experience to assess the patient’s needs properly and promptly, allowing proper care to be applied.

Though it is typically geared toward medical professionals, it can also be incredibly beneficial for caregivers of people with pre-existing medical conditions and for those with some level of medical knowledge who wish to learn more about more advanced life-saving measures.

Specific Differences in BLS vs CPR

When you consider BLS vs CPR one of the most important factors to remember is that both are life-saving, valuable, and worth learning.

CPR is ideal for anyone who wants to learn basic life-saving skills. It can be applied to adults as well as children. It is typically a valuable tool in situations where cardiac emergencies can occur.

BLS is more comprehensive. It includes CPR. However, it also offers more advanced education and training based on the assessment the rescuer provides to the patient. BLS provides everything that CPR includes, but it goes further. It provides additional support by including care strategies for those who are suffering from not only cardiac failure but also respiratory distress or airway obstruction.

Specific BLS vs CPR Course Differences

BLS vs CPR certification is also different. As expected, BLS goes further and provides more medical-first applications of life-saving strategies. It includes additional life-saving techniques.

With BLS vs CPR, consider the differences in these courses:

• CPR and AED courses are an important part of initial training and education. They also meet the very basic requirements for OSHA-mandated first-aid training and CPR training. CPR training is the foundation and starting point for those who are responsible for improving workplace safety. It applies to virtually any work environment.
• BLS courses go further, providing more advanced knowledge and training to those who will likely use its strategies over time. They include competency verification, education, and credentials that are often necessary for healthcare professionals. This includes the emergency room and hospital care necessary for those who work in acute-care settings.

BLS vs CPR: Which One Should You Choose?

CPR vs BLS certification is a careful decision. Some people do not need more in-depth life-saving skills. They do not work in a high-risk area.

Comparatively, those who are in a post-acute care setting or hospital are more likely to need to apply life-saving measures. That makes BLS training more important.

To determine which strategy is right for you, consider the following:

• What type of work do you currently do?
• Do you work with medically fragile people?
• Is there someone in your home who is medically fragile with a risk of suffering a heart and respiratory event?
• Does your employer require one or the other: BLS vs CPR, or does the employer recommend both training?
• Do you provide services, such as a fitness trainer or therapist, to people who could experience more life-threatening conditions?

CPR vs BLS decisions can be difficult in some situations. However, know that BLS goes further, covers more, and provides you with a higher level of skill to handle difficult situations in a meaningful and safe way. Keep in mind, though, that BLS vs CPR certification is different. You will need to have more initial medical skills heading into BLS than you do with CPR training.

What Goes Into CPR Certification?

CPR certification aims to revive a person who is not breathing or whose heart has stopped. It uses several strategies, including chest compressions and rescue breaths, to facilitate life-saving measures.

The objective of CPR certification is to maintain blood flow as well as oxygen through the body to keep vital organs from shutting down. It is meant to be a stop-gap until more help arrives.

When you complete a CPR certification course, you will learn:

• How to perform chest compressions, including the proper technique, hand placement, depth, and rate of chest compressions to provide critical and life-saving support to a person in need
• How to provide rescue breaths, including understanding when and how to administer such breaths, as well as how to properly ventilate the respiratory airway
• Automated external defibrillator (AED) use, including how to operate an AED and when to do so, since an AED increases the chances of success in saving a person’s life.
• First aid skill training, including basic principles, such as wound care and reduction of bleeding, as well as how to recognize the signs of a heart attack, stroke, and other conditions
• Legal and ethical considerations related to providing care, including the obligations of providing CPR in a manner desired and beneficial to the patient.

CPR certification online is an option. You can also obtain it through other in-person courses.

CPR is best for:

• Non-healthcare workers
• Teachers
• Office workers
• People who work in supportive services in medical facilities
• Those who provide day-to-day care for others
• Childcare providers
• Lifeguards

CPR is recommended for anyone who wants to be ready to protect another person’s life.

What Goes Into BLS Certification?

As you think about BLS vs CPR, you also need to consider the importance of more advanced care. It is a more advanced type of training program. It is more challenging to learn, especially for a person who may not have a lot of education in the medical field.

BLS certification is ideal for those who need or will likely use life-saving measures during their course of work. Consider BLS certification vs CPR.

In a BLS course, you will likely learn:

• CPR for health care providers involves more in-depth training on chest compression application, rescue breathing, and advanced airway management methods and recommendations.
• Team dynamics, including how to communicate and coordinate care for a person who needs life-saving measures meaningfully during resuscitation efforts.
• The use of a bag-valve-mask (BVM) device includes when and how to use these devices to improve ventilation for a person who is not breathing on their own, including how to use a BVM device.
• Pediatric-specific care for a patient, including the differences between CPR and resuscitation on infants and young children compared to those for adults, including rescue breaths for children.
• Use of an AED, including how to operate the AED with more refined skills to apply various types and levels of care in the appropriate setting for the patient.

BLS certification courses are available online. They take a bit longer to complete because they offer more in-depth education and training for the individual.

BLS training is best for:

• Emergency medical care providers
• Hospital workers
• Doctors
• Paramedics
• First responders
• Nurses
• Those working in nursing homes or rehabilitation facilities
• Individuals who have critical risk patients they provide care to

BLS vs CPR decisions are important, but it helps to know how important having either of these is. If you are unable to obtain a BLS course for any reason, having CPR training is nearly always beneficial.

Consider the following details to provide a bit more insight into BLS certification. It is a two-year certification program. It will meet the competency requirements for education, credentialing, and privileging set by most employers and others.

How to Obtain BLS vs CPR Education

You have decided to obtain the BLS certification vs CPR. How do you get started? You can get the help you need right here at Advanced Medical Certification.

• The BLS online certification program provides you with up to 4 AMA Category 1 credits.
• It includes ILCOR standards and guidelines, Joint Commission compliance, and hands-on support.
• You will receive a BLS online handbook that will give you all of the details of how to complete the program.

This course is designed by Board Certified Physicians. It teaches high-quality, effective, and detailed information. Remember, it meets all of the ILCOR Standards and Guidelines, which means it typically meets all requirements for workforce training that may apply to anyone who needs CPR training or more advanced care.

You can complete CPR education online with us as well. If you are considering this program, there are a few key things you should know:

• With CPR, AED, and First Aid Certification available through our online educational program, you will be able to achieve 6 Category 2 CME credits.
• You will learn both child and Infant CPR alongside adult-specific care.
• You gain the necessary skills to provide life-saving support to individuals who need it.

The Importance of BLS vs CPR

For those who are ready to learn the steps necessary to care for a person who is facing life-threatening medical events, BLS vs CPR is a critical decision. Both options are beneficial.

Certification plays a vital role in improving survival rates in any situation in which a person is not breathing or their heart has stopped. With this type of training, you gain the ability to help save a person’s life. If you are not sure if you should choose either program, consider the following benefits that can come from having this type of education:

• You can provide immediate response to a person in a life-threatening condition. Certified individuals in either CPR or BLS will be able to react to reduce the amount of time the lapses between not getting oxygen to the brain and receiving more advanced care.
• Increased survival rates apply in both BLS vs CPR settings. In all situations, having the knowledge necessary to do something – and do it properly – can be life-saving.
• Professional competence requirements are met typically with BLS training for those in a health care setting.

Learn more about how BLS vs CPR applies in your specific situation. In both situations, having training saves lives and is well worth obtaining for anyone.

BLS Vs CPR: Where to Get Started

With BLS certification vs. CPR certification an option for you or in-depth, high-quality BLS training available, Advanced Medical Certification provides you with the ability to achieve the skills you need to save a person’s life. Learn more about our programs and how you can get certified online. Turn to us with any questions you may have on the right type of program for your needs.